Chapter 784: A Dark and Windy Night

“I’ll take you all home. Xiaonan talks about you every day.”

Jim Thorne happily led the way, carrying a bucket more than half-full of loaches. A group of curious children followed, but Jim Thorne shooed them away.

“Where’s Adrian’s house?” Madman asked casually.

Jim Thorne pointed to the hillside. “See that dilapidated earthen house? That’s where he lives.”

Madman saw it, of course, and his brow furrowed. ‘The beauty lives in such a wreck of a house? That son of a bitch Ethan Hawthorne is a real piece of shit. Living in a villa with his mistress while his wife and son live in a hovel.’

Jim Thorne chattered on, “Adrian isn’t home, but his mom is.”

A smile played on Madman’s lips. ‘He wasn’t here to see Adrian Hawthorne, anyway. It didn’t matter whether the boy was home or not. As long as the beauty was there, that’s all that mattered.’

Tang Xiaonan had gone to the hillside with Amanda Chapman to gather pig feed. Or rather, Amanda Chapman was gathering the feed while Tang Xiaonan kept her cousin company, chatting and catching a few locusts to bring home for the chickens. When she returned, she saw her parents entertaining Madman with the utmost respect.

Felix Thorne, a man who was normally fierce and menacing, didn’t even dare breathe too loudly in front of Madman. His voice was hushed, and his palms were slick with sweat. For some reason, Felix Thorne felt that the ‘kind and amiable Uncle Madman’ his daughter described possessed an even deadlier aura than he, a pig butcher, did. ‘He was certain this Madman had blood on his hands.’

“Uncle, you’re here!”

Tang Xiaonan ran in cheerfully. Madman cracked a smile, pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, and popped it into her mouth.

“They didn’t have any Coke in the county town, so I couldn’t buy you any,” Madman said out of the blue.

Tang Xiaonan understood. He’d bought her candy because he couldn’t find any Coke. She grinned. “Candy is yummy!”

Only then was Madman satisfied. ‘As long as the little chubster likes it, that’s all that matters.’

Dinner at the Thorne family’s home was exceptionally lavish. Phoebe Huxley had laid out all the best food they had: steamed cured pork and ham, braised crucian carp, steamed dried fish, dry-fried loaches, ginger-fried eel, spicy river snails, a silken tofu stew, braised pork belly…

The table was laden with elaborate dishes. Phoebe Huxley had specifically asked Phoebe Thorne to do the cooking. She was self-aware enough to know her own culinary skills weren’t as good as Phoebe Thorne’s and simply wouldn’t do for such an honored guest. Phoebe Thorne, on the other hand, was an excellent cook.

“You’re all too kind.” Madman was becoming even more pleased with the Thorne family. ‘They certainly know their manners.’

“It’s just simple country fare. Please, eat your fill.” Even Felix Thorne’s way of speaking had become more refined as he politely poured Madman some liquor.

Although Madman was anxious to meet the beauty, he knew better than to rush things. He wasn’t in a hurry, content to chat and drink with Felix Thorne. Will, meanwhile, was solely focused on stuffing his face.

After dinner, Madman stayed the night at the Thorne family’s home. Felix Thorne, completely drunk, was helped to bed early by Phoebe Huxley. Madman himself was a little tipsy and couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in bed. Will was sprawled out on his back, his snores loud enough to shake the heavens. Madman kicked him a few times in disgust, but Will didn’t react at all, simply rolling over and continuing to sleep soundly.

Madman finally gave up, got out of bed, threw on his overcoat, and went out for a walk. It was around eleven o’clock at night. All the villagers were asleep, and it was dead quiet outside. Yet, a few furtive figures were gathered in the Spann family’s vacant house.

It was Vernon Spann and three sleazy-looking men.

“I’ll set the fire. When the villagers come running, you go find that bitch. I’ve already pointed her out to you. She’s a rare beauty—it’s your lucky day.” Vernon Spann was quite envious. He had long coveted Rosalind Green’s beauty for himself, but his daughter had given him a mission, and he had to see it through.

The three sleazy men grinned. ‘She really is a beauty. They’d do it even without the money.’